It’s no secret that I like whiteboards. I used to scrawl on one during live shows of Sidepodcast, and I was quick to nab one going spare at work. The trouble is, wherever I go, there seems to be a fundamental inability to stick things on walls. Whether it is because I am in rented accommodation, or because my desk is not near a wall, these small boards are always precariously leaning and almost impossible to write upon.

In the ongoing quest to turn everything digital, there are still some cases where a paper and pencil just works. I’m the first to admit that every time I try an online or digital to-do list, I always end up right back with my notepad and pen. This is an interesting idea, then, the closest technology has come to being paper so far, I’d say - the NoteSlate. I can’t say I am a fan of the website, it’s hard to actually find any useful information. From what I gather, though, the pencil acts just like a pencil. You can save, share and clear your work with the buttons, and it comes in a variety of colours - like a chalkboard.

A while back, I talked of time spent at my first official job - messing about with stationery. It was a mundane job, and one which I was quite good at, which meant as long as the work was done, slacking off was a bit more acceptable in the eyes of the bosses. Back then, I casually mentioned that we used to doodle things on post-it notes. There was a particular chap who I had a bit of a connection with, mostly because everyone else thought I was a bit odd but he had the same sense of humour as me. We used to write post-it notes to each other about nothing in particular, and then it would always end up in doodling. We used to have doodle competitions to see who was better and he always won.

I was browsing around the interwebs, as you do, and came across the company Cavallini & Co, who make some good-looking stationery, with a vintage twist. I found two particular favourites: These rather good Sticky Notes come in a fancy tin and cover every eventuality. From a simple to-do list, to a reminder, and even a day by day note. They look quite small, but I love the variety. Sadly, they are out of stock, or I would have been quite tempted.

This post is specifically for Amy, because she asked for more stationery. Reluctantly, eh-hem, I am obliging. It is such a wrench to scour the web for this stuff, you know? Monopoly Game Board Planner I hate the idea of someone throwing away Monopoly, because… why would you? But if you’re going to get rid of your board games, it makes sense for them to be turned into something useful, doesn’t it? Also available: Scrabble and Trivial Pursuit!

The fabulous Alex pointed me in the direction of a site called Pencil Talk, and I love it. It does exactly what you would expect, looks at pencils from all over the world and reviews how they look and how they write. I don’t have much else to say, the pencils speak for themselves! It’s nice to have some stationery thoughts to blog about since the end of Stationery Corner. I really should do another Card Week.

With a little bit more time on my hands, I’ve had the chance to think about some of my other blogs - and I quite quickly came to the conclusion that I had too many. Who really needs seven blogs? Really? A couple of them were on hiatus, never to be added to again. Some of them have an unknown future, but whatever future they do have, it will take place here.

Thus, the first Card Week series draws to a close, and it’s going back to animals, I’m afraid. These rather cute caterpillar thank you cards appealed to me and were actually the first one I found when searching for a week’s worth of cards. Caterpillar Thank You Notes I hope this week of cards hasn’t been too self-indulgent, although if I’m honest with myself, the entire premise of Stationery Corner is just that! We’ll be back to pens and paper tomorrow.

The fourth entry for card week takes a completely different turn. It doesn’t feature animals - I don’t suppose the Pacman family are animals, are they? I love this card for when your geek friends get married. Mr and Mrs Pacman Wedding Card It’s quirky, and only a certain type of couple would appreciate it but I know Mr C and I would have if we’d accepted cards for our wedding.

Card Week number three, and we’re continuing our animal theme but rather than pigs and cows, we’re taking off into the skies. These flying geese look good, I love the colours, and the empty bench. Plus, the simplicity of writing hello in the bottom corner. A great way for a card to break the ice or just to simply say ‘hello’. Flying Geese Hello Folded Note Cards

The second entrant on our Card Week special is a postcard rather than a greetings card. I have never really been a big fan of sending postcards because I don’t like the idea of anyone reading what is written there, and of course, if you send it from a holiday destination, you are likely to return before it does. However, I do like these vintage cards. Vintage Pig/Cow Carte Postale

Greetings cards and note cards are very personal things. What works for one person may be considered hideous by someone else, and it’s all a matter of taste. This week, for five days, I’ll post a different card each day, making this the first ever Card Week. They’re all from Etsy, and I love them all for very different reasons. Today - Penguins in Love. The first of many cards that involve plenty of white space and simple, cute designs. I like penguins and thus, I like this.

If you are involved in a business, or just have a lot of visitors, then you might require a book to keep track of who has been to see you and when. If I was in charge of choosing such a book, I might be keen on this one from Noble Macmillan. Now, granted, I’m happy that it’s purple, but other colours are available. I like how simple it is both on the outside and the inside.

I’ve never been a huge fan of letter openers, as I am more than likely to injure myself with them. However, I have used them before and they do make life a little bit easier. This one has dual purpose! You open the letter, someone has scrawled some tiny fine print at the bottom of your letter, and thus you flip the opener round and lo and behold - a magnifying glass. It’s of Italian style and looks beautiful but is relatively inexpensive at £22.

How cute are these? 6cm x 7cm. Nkuku Tiny Journals They’ve got about 50 pages inside and are so tiny you could carry them anywhere. Equally, they are so tiny, that you could lose them anywhere.

I think Online is an unfortunate name for a pen, which is anything but digital, but this one is nice enough to make up for it. I like the three coloured sections, and it’s also available in various other shades, so if blue is not your thing, there’s plenty of choice. It’s also a lot cheaper than the last pen I featured, a bargain at about £20.

Mm, look how delicious this handmade paper is! And from the description: This paper is made from 100% cardboard, paperboard, and scraps of magazine pages that I have collected and recycled myself. I was SO excited when I discovered how to recycle cereal boxes, the clippings from making my paper beads, and the cardboard snippets left over from making journal covers. I’m thrilled to be able to make them into this wonderful brown paper!

I don’t know if you would technically count this as stationery, but it does fall under the organisation category, so we’ll go with it for now. The Empty Your Pockets organiser is one of those things that you don’t really need - any box would do - but the efficiency of it appeals to me. Most of my stuff stays in my bag, as you can imagine, but sometimes I come home and throw my keys around, and I know a certain other person in the household is always searching for his. I like the covered pocket, as well, for things that you don’t necessarily need to have in easy view.

Ahh, remember the good old days when you had to trudge to school with your calculator and your compass? I was looking at the Helix site and couldn’t decide between two maths sets. The Black Case set comes with a highlighter mouse and a calculator which is pretty groovy: But the Oracle Maths set has the full circle angle measure with the really cool windy thing on it:

Things I have learnt about Filofax today: It’s a brand name, not a thing! Like Hoover. They are actually not as dorky looking as I thought. That they come with accessories! Things that come with your Filofax: Week on two pages diary, five language Ruler-page marker, frosted Coloured 1-6 numbered index World map To do, five language Various colours of ruled paper Name, address and numbers, five language Coloured A–Z index, two letters per tab Transparent envelope, top opening There are also extras you can buy, but I’ll save them for another post. The Filofax is so much cooler than I remember!

I’ve never really understood calligraphy, it seems like a whole lot of effort. The results can be beautiful, of course, but I’m not an expert by any means. I like the look of this Coles Calligraphy Set though. That’s an actual feather! I’m pretty sure I would break it within a week of having it, but it’s so pretty. It would make a fab gift. As an aside, the website is called Pen Heaven, which is right up my street.

When browsing for pens, a word you don’t really expect to hear is “revolutionary.” However, that is what Websters Pen Shop have on offer with the Dialog 3. The revolutionary part comes from the fact that this fountain pen has no cap. It twists, in the same way some ball point pens twist, and the nib disappears inside. Some fancy stuff then protects the nib from getting damaged or dirty, and when you want to use it again, you just twist away.

I have mentioned the good stuff from Kikki.K before, but I just wanted to focus in on this book - 365 Days. It’s a journal, but it doesn’t start at the beginning of the year, you can pick it up and start whenever. I think there are good and bad points about this. Firstly, it’s nice not to be tied in to a Jan 1st start. It’s good that it’s not just blank, the numbers will help keep a bit of order to things, but it does mean you are committed to writing every day. That’s a positive thing but it might not be up everyone’s street. I like the idea of taking it on for a project, whatever that might be.

I seem to have a bit of a thing for pen holders at the moment, you will have to forgive me. However, I really like this rustic looking wooden pot. Barnwood Pen/Pencil Holder The pot is from old barn wood, sanded and smoothed to have nice round edges.

Well, we’re in the middle of another month, so it’s about time I debuted a new blog, right? Welcome to Stationery Corner! I don’t really know what it is or what it’s going to be. At the moment I have just been posting some of the stationery bits and pieces I have found on the internet. Perhaps at some point I will research the history of the pencil and tell you all about it.

The Perfect Journal This journal looks really nice, the pages are chunky and I bet they feel good when you hold it. I also like the idea of the secret pocket at the back, although I’m not sure what you would put in it. Some of the notes from the seller: made of natural kraft paper and chipboard embellished with decorative papers great feel heavy creamy pages the design on the back side of the journal is from the same print as the front.

Ikea do have some lovely stuff, even if it is mass produced and without character. I’m not 100% sure about this wicker style storage for writing materials, but I like the idea. I have a similar wooden organisation piece on my desk right now, also from Ikea, but I like that this one is nice and tall. You can get various different length pens to try and fit! Now we’ll have to find some pens to go in it.

I have a thing about lady bugs because I call them lady bugs and Mr C insists that they are ladybirds. It’s something we’ll never agree on but every time I find something with bug in the title, rather than bird, it makes me a bit happy. That’s why I would love to get these lady bug pins, rather than boring old drawing pins.

I don’t think I would ever find a use for an address book as I can’t remember the last time I posted a letter anywhere, but that doesn’t stop me ogling them. This is an interesting one. I like the handwriting design on the cover, and as a bonus, it’s cheap! £1.99! Pocket Address Book

A while ago, Amy pointed out this fabulous stationery site - Kikki.K. They have the most gorgeous collections of pens, paper, folders, pots, anything you could want. It’s all chunky and geometrical, and I love it! Here are a couple of examples of the greatness. A penpot: Sticky notes: Meal planning: I basically want everything on the site and I bet you’ll feel the same.

I have never really heard of a stationery box before, but whilst investigating some rather posh pens, I came across this Secretaire box from Smythson. The box is made of leather, is lockable and comes with it’s own rather fancy stationery, but I’m not sure that justifies the £5,145 price tag! I’m completely in love with all the little drawers, but really, I’d rather just get a pen pot, I think.

The kind of thing I would never want to write in because it is just too precious. The Elite Writer’s Journal (link no longer available)

I requested some sticky tape and then made the mistake of taking a couple of days off. The stationery catalogue is hidden away in my filing cabinet, but someone must have found it and placed an order. When I mentioned this over on Sidepodcast, the reaction was instant and very divided. As an over-generalisation, the girls hate it and the boys think it’s funny. I’m sure you already know what I think of it.

At my first proper job, I was the youngest on the team, I was crazy shy and wouldn’t go to the pub with them, plus I did double the work everyone else did. It is conceivable that they hated me. My one saving grace, though, was that being such a swot allowed my team a bit of leeway when it came to… well… messing about. As long as we got our work done and kept our numbers up, we were essentially allowed to do whatever we liked. I imagine this ethos can only come about in a company where they know the work is dull, and they have employed young people, and those who are just saving until they can go travelling again.

Things that are getting on my nerves: I can’t stop listening to Queen. And if it’s not Queen, it’s We Will Rock You. I’m currently playing Tomb Raider 2 in an attempt to kill time before the new one arrives. I got stuck in Venice (level 2). All those waterways! Once I’d got through that, I breezed through the next four levels and now I’m stuck again… grr… We headed to Borders, to their Paperchase section, for wedding present wrapping paper, but we ended up browsing through all the books and DVD’s and the computer magazines. I wouldn’t let Mr C buy anything until he convinced me that if we both bought something, that would be fair. I couldn’t find anything I wanted though!

I bought some envelopes today but forgot to get stamps so that’s not good… but anyway, the guy I bought them from was trying to talk to me but he wasn’t saying anything normal. Conversation that I expect from a salesperson - “nice day, isn’t it?” or something relating to my purchases, “Have you tried the self-sticking envelopes?” That kind of thing. This guy was going on about how he got fired from working on a newspaper and now he was stuck selling the damn things. Then he looked at me for a comment.